Victim was followed, shot in back of head

Acquaintances say man not in gang, stayed out of trouble

STOCKTON - A 21-year-old man walking along Mariposa Road a few blocks from his family home was followed and fatally shot in the back of the head Monday night, according to information provided by police and people who knew him from the neighborhood.

STOCKTON - A 21-year-old man walking along Mariposa Road a few blocks from his family home was followed and fatally shot in the back of the head Monday night, according to information provided by police and people who knew him from the neighborhood.

Stockton police reported the victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the 10:44 p.m. shooting in the 1900 block of East Mariposa Road near Juliet Road. No suspects were seen, according to police, who provided no other information.

A man who owns a business in the neighborhood said he knew the victim as both a customer and a friend. He said he knew the victim as "Jose" but didn't know his last name.

"He was coming to see us, maybe," the businessman said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety.

"He was walking from his house, and somebody was following him on foot. As soon as he came into the light, they shot him," the businessman said, indicating there is video surveillance of the area where the shooting took place.

"Jose was a very good guy, a nice person," the businessman said. "Everybody said he was."

On Tuesday morning, Daniel Rodriguez described Jose as "a buddy of mine. I couldn't believe it was him. For what? He wasn't in a gang. He never caused problems, nothing. He worked with his dad on side jobs, in cabinetry.

"He was a good dude. I never seen him have problems with nobody," Rodriguez said.

The businessman said the southeast Stockton neighborhood has been quiet lately, but he bemoaned the violence that some people are quick to engage in.

"I don't have any enemies, but people fight with each other, and then they start shooting at each other. That's what I notice about this area," he said. The businessman said he has been in the area about one year.

Authorities have not released the victim's name pending official identification and notification of next of kin. A spokesman for the family contacted Tuesday morning said the family was unprepared to talk publicly about their loved one.

Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/goldeenblog and on Twitter @JoeGoldeen.